Outsiders doubting the Milwaukee Bucks is nothing new, and it certainly won't change anytime soon. ESPN's staff has predicted that the Bucks will have the largest tumble in the NBA in 2025-26, earning 41 points in the vote. The Los Angeles Lakers were next at 32. The league is expecting a significant drop-off in Milwaukee, and the Bucks will look to prove them wrong.
The Milwaukee Bucks will have plenty of fuel heading into next season
The argument that the Milwaukee Bucks got worse this summer is head-scratching. Sure, they lost a pair of recognizable veterans in Brook Lopez and Damian Lillard, but they had faults. It was clear that Lopez was no longer a fit in Milwaukee due to his age and defensive limitations. Lillard is set to miss all of next season to rehab from an Achilles injury. Keeping both would not have helped matters.
Instead, the Milwaukee Bucks pivoted, adding the best center on the entire market in Myles Turner and forming a roster built on youth and athleticism around their superstar. While they don't have the flashy names or surefire stars, they have a group that is equipped to play fast and gritty, something they've lacked mightily in recent memory.
The Milwaukee Bucks were the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference last season with a 48-34 record. A significant drop-off from that is unlikely, barring some sort of injury or absence. This isn't the same older, slower team from the past few seasons. This is a Bucks team that is about to embrace a style of basketball that will make them more competitive than they have been in recent memory.
While individual goals aren't the end goal, all of this doubt should only reinforce the MVP case of Giannis Antetokounmpo. If the Milwaukee Bucks put together a quality regular season, even maybe finishing with a better record than they did last season, Giannis should be penciled in as the MVP. It would be contradictory not to.
To be clear, the new roster isn't perfect. Giannis will still have to be Superman most nights, but he's not alone. He and Turner are the best defensive frontcourt duo in the NBA. Bobby Portis is still a Sixth Man of the Year candidate yearly. AJ Green and Gary Trent Jr. are one of the best shooting duos in the NBA. Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins are due for breakouts. This team can make some noise.
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